


Is It all Nothing But a Dream

by Kelkat9



Category: Doctor Who, Doctor Who (2005)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst, F/M, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-01-29
Updated: 2014-01-29
Packaged: 2018-01-10 10:33:47
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,723
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1158619
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kelkat9/pseuds/Kelkat9
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The Doctor awakens from a nightmare that could be his future.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Is It all Nothing But a Dream

**Author's Note:**

> Just a short little fic. Someone once mentioned on tumblr something to the effect of what if Season 5 etc was all a bad dream of Tens? Nothing special with this one - just a little bunny.

  
He gasped awake, tears in his eyes and looked around disoriented. Rose was standing over him looking concerned, her hand gently caressing his forehead.

“Doctor, are you all right?” she asked, her brow furrowed with worry after watching him stumble and crack his head against the console slumping to the floor unconscious.

He looked up at her, dressed in a blue hoody and jeans, the same outfit she wore in a nightmare that seemed too real to him. He sat up and yanked her too him, wrapping his arms around her tightly. Rose held him just as tightly, concerned at his reaction.

”Doctor, what’s wrong? Is it your head? You took a nasty fall.”

He pulled back and cupped her face in his hands and stared deep in to her eyes, visions of losing her in a battle of Daleks and Cyberman fresh in his mind as was seeing her image on a lonely beach, never getting to say the words he longed to. From there, it was flashes of a brilliant ginger haired bride, murderous Racnoss, a spunky and determined medical student, a dark version of New Earth, an insane scientist, Daleks in New York, Captain Jack, the Master, a year of horrors that never was; more loss as another companion leaves him; finding the ginger-haired Donna Noble again, hope, adventure, Agatha Christie, the Ood, a library, a malevolent creature on a planet of diamonds, a time beetle, parallel universes colliding, Rose returning, more Daleks, companions as warriors, an almost regeneration, meta crisis, losing Rose, losing Donna, cybers again, a bus and wormhole to a dead planet; madness and mars, Gallifrey returns along with the Master, sacrifice, regeneration and starting anew but ruining more lives. It went on and on and it made him ill. This was a time line that could be unless he stopped things from spiraling out of control now.

He smashed his lips against hers, plastering his body against hers as if imprinting her on him and him on her. Rose melted against him and he inhaled her scent, memorized her taste and wrapped himself up in her time line, tightly binding them. He would not let this happen. He pulled back and she was breathing hard, her eyes dilated and her mouth kiss swollen as she looked up at him in shock and pleasure.

She grinned. “What was that for?”

“Because, it needed to happen and because, I’ve wanted to do that but didn’t because I was afraid. I was afraid of hurting you, me and the universe would crash down around us.”

Rose caressed his face with her hand and looked at him with love in her eyes. “So what changed? You bang your head and suddenly figure out it all doesn’t end in a good snog?” she teased.

He pressed his hand against hers, holding it to his face and turned to kiss her palm before grasping her hand between both of his. “I saw a future where I never did that, never told you…” he said, swallowing hard and pausing. “Never told you I loved you and we both suffered. We suffered loss and pain and the universe suffered with us. Terrible things happened, people suffered and were hurt and I was the cause.”

Rose watched his eyes darken as he said this and she could almost see him thinking about whatever future he’d seen. It was as if the reverberations of that possible time line passed through to her and she shivered. He snapped out of it and gripped her arms tightly. “Rose, when the time comes and I ask you to stay in the TARDIS, do it. No questions, no wandering off, no matter how much danger you think I’m in or how much you think the world will end. You can’t leave the TARDIS. Promise me.”

Rose nodded her head not completely understanding. “Yeah, of course,” she answered him.

“No,” he said firmly and looked her in the eye, his eyes dark and piercing.

“Promise me. I want you to give me your word, Rose.”

Rose felt like the air was crackling with something, almost like when your ears pop in a plane. As she stared at him, she instinctually knew that something pivotal happened at this moment based on her next words. Part of her rebelled at him forcing her to make a promise to lock herself away like she was some porcelain doll who would shatter if faced with the hard decisions of life. Another part of her, a part buried deep inside, prickled with an icy feeling of what could be and that was enough to tame her fiery rebellious instincts that wanted to shout out she would stand with him no matter what. Finally, she nodded. “I promise, if you tell me to stay in the TARDIS, I will and I won’t leave until you tell me to. I won’t like it, but I’ll do it. This time at least. Just don’t get ideas that you can keep me swathed in cotton or anything,” she finished with a rebellious tilt of chin.

He pulled her into his arms and whispered things into her ear he had longed to say. He knew there was still much to face, but now perhaps things could end for the better. The universe was not a kind place and he was sure there would be repercussions for attempting to twist fate but he would live with that.

It wasn’t long before Rose was forced to keep her promise. It drove her barmy to know that the Doctor and her Mum were outside amidst the Doctor’s enemies. She turned on the monitor and watched things unfold. The TARDIS showed her Mickey, Jake and Pete Tyler from another universe facing off against Cybermen and Daleks. It was horrifying as people were being cyberized or massacred and the people she loved were in the middle of it. With tears streaming down her face she looked at the time rotor. “I can’t! I can’t just stand here and do nothing!” she cried and walked toward the doors. The cloister bells tolled as she reached the door and she could hear the TARDIS hum in her mind shift to something frantic. She stopped with her hand on the door and sank down in tears. The TARDIS wouldn’t let her forget that damned promise she’d made. So, she sat there suffering for those outside and she kept her word.

It felt like an eternity for Rose sitting there wondering and waiting. When the door opened and the Doctor walked in looking tired and worn, she couldn’t help herself. She stood up and slapped him, beat on his chest, tears again coursing down her cheeks demanding to know why he had made her promise when so many were dying outside and she could have helped.

The Doctor stood there and let her vent and rage at him. His face was red from where she struck him and small cut on his cheek bled. He deserved this. After all he had done in his life, the billions who died at his hand, the loss that had happened on that day, how could he defend himself? When Rose was spent, he held her in his arms and repeated over and over again. “I’m sorry, I’m so sorry.”

In the end, Rose had no choice but to accept what happened. This was their life, a life she had chosen and embraced. He had saved her mother and two universes, almost losing his life in the process. He bore tremendous guilt and she could see in his eyes how he doubted what he’d done. In saving her, he had separated her from her mother forever. The TARDIS was filled with heartache but they still had each. They clung to that fact as much as they did to each other.

On Earth, she was presumed dead along with her mother. So many had died that day. Her mother was in a parallel universe with a parallel version of her father. Mickey was with her too. The Doctor had found a tiny hole so she could say goodbye. It was sad but in some ways, very healing too. It felt as if it was meant to be, as if the universe had marked her to do more and this was it’s way of tidying up so she could focus on the tasks ahead of her. She didn’t have to worry about her Mum anymore or any ties to Earth for that matter.

Her good bye completed, she felt the Doctor’s arms wind around her. She sniffed and turned to him burying her face in his pinstriped chest. He had shared his vision of the possible time line with her. It was difficult for her to see but she had to. She had to understand why all this came to pass. So many lives in that time line were effected and some in very dangerous ways. Her loss was small in the larger scheme of things. She could make a difference now; maybe even help some of those people whose lives would have been harmed. She smiled as she thought about what if. What if they still met Donna Noble but instead of her losing her memories, she found herself and her future with them. What if Martha Jones hadn’t been made to feel less by a mourning Time Lord but was showed from the beginning how brilliant she is. What if they stopped this twisted Time Lord, Master, before he came to Earth and harmed Martha’s family? What if they found Jack first and made amends. What if, they found little Amelia Pond and watched over her life so she could be amazing without losing her daughter. There were so many what ifs.

She looked up and kissed her mad alien lover and smiled brightly and he looked down upon her with the greatest joy in his eyes. “Ready?” he asked.

“Always,” she answered as they flipped some switches and sent the TARDIS hurtling through the vortex to find adventure and change some lives for the better.

* * *

Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters and settings are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. No money is being made from this work. No copyright infringement is intended.  
  



End file.
